US stands alone at G-20 summit with position on climate change

Ablestock.com/Thinkstock(HAMBURG, Germany) — Of the 20 world leaders meeting this week in Hamburg, Germany, for the G-20 Summit, the United States is the lone outlier on climate change, following President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement earlier this year.

A footnote to the G-20’s official document summarizing the collective plan of action on climate issues states that the U.S. continues to reserve its position.

“The United States is currently in the process of reviewing many of its policies related to climate change and continues to reserve its position on this document and its content,” the footnote reads.

The document’s plan is built around the terms laid out in the Paris climate agreement.

The Paris accord, agreed to in 2015, sets guidelines for each participating country to mitigate global warming. Sponsored by the United Nations, it aims to slow the rise in global temperatures.

Under former President Barack Obama, the United States committed to cutting its carbon emissions by 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels, by 2025.

On June 1, Trump announced that the U.S. would be pulling out of the accord.

“The United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, but begin negotiations to re-enter either the Paris accord or really an entirely new transaction on terms that are fair to the United States,” Trump said. “So we are getting out, but we are starting to negotiate and we’ll see if we can make a deal that’s fair.”

He added that the nonbinding portions of the agreement would cease to be enforced by the U.S.

Trump had campaigned for the presidency on the promise to pull out of the agreement, which was one of Obama’s signature accomplishments.

Ahead of the June announcement, world leaders and even Pope Francis had implored Trump to remain a party to the Paris accord at the G-7 Summit in May.